Identity Crisis Part II
by Nudgy Turian
Summary: Preview: Thanks to Owen and his star pupil, Goliath is able to enjoy the


**Preview:** Thanks to Owen and his star pupil, Goliath is able to enjoy the  
daylight hours as a human... in fact he's posing as Elisa's majordomo! I  
wonder why Elisa's having a hard time concentrating on the case?

**!CONTENT WARNING!** - This story contains very adult themes and situations.  
Mature readers only please!

**Disclaimer:** The Gargoyles and all characters therein are the property of the  
Walt Disney company and Buena Vista Television. You all know the rest!  
**  
Authors note:** I realized after writing the love scenes, that where Elisa  
and Goliath are concerned, many people would rather use their imaginations.  
Unfortunately, although I agonized for quite a while over removing the love  
scenes, I could not quite bring myself to do so. All I can say is that if  
you are offended by an E&G romance, especially a graphic one, that this  
story is most definitely not for you!

** Identity Crisis  
Part 2**

One hour later, they were eating Mexican on a very nice restaurant  
terrace. Despite the chill in the air, the sun was warm and several other  
patrons were also braving the cool temperatures. Stoneman found that he  
really liked the food, especially the fajitas. He didn't even mind having  
Liz laugh at him when the contents fell out as he bit them. It was amazing  
that he could be sitting here eating with her in broad daylight, as the  
sunshine warmed his skin - and nobody even looked twice!

He looked at her again. She was even more beautiful by day. He had  
seen how the men at other tables watched her, hoping to catch her eye, but  
a few possessive glares from him had cooled them down. Once again it came to  
him that she could be with almost anyone she wanted, and yet, she had  
chosen him. Against all odds, and in spite of the hardships it entailed,  
she had made a commitment to the clan, and to him.

He reached across the table to take her hand. In keeping with his  
new identity, he couldn't risk saying anything, but he knew from her face,  
that she understood the unspoken feelings behind the touch. She smiled and  
after a moment withdrew her hand.

They talked about the clan, the Xanatoses, even about Owen. They  
planned all the things they would like to do while they were in town and they  
drew out their meal, content just to watch the afternoon go by.

When it was time to leave, Stoneman paid the check, left a tip and  
made sure their limo was waiting. He knew that he had impressed her by the  
stunned look on her face. Once in the limo, she turned towards him and  
jokingly wondered aloud if Owen had anything that would grant her Robocop-  
like suspect recall.

With a pleased smile on his face, he leaned back in the seat next to her ...

Elizabeth studied Lyath's face. The poor guy had, by her  
estimates been awake a good twenty-two hours. With his belly full and after a  
pleasant afternoon in the sunshine, how could he not have drifted off?

In repose, the lines around the corners of his mouth, seemed to disappear.  
He seemed younger and so at peace. She had never seen him that way before.  
No fierce pose, no stony visage - just weak human flesh. Like her. In a way  
she pitied him, knowing that he might grow to like the feel of the sun, the  
anonymity of his new form too much.

Sooner or later, all this would end and he would have to forget what it was  
like..or miss it every night for the rest of his life.

She, on the other hand, knew that she would never forget this time  
in their lives. She would do her best to remember everything so that even when  
she was an old woman, she would be able to recall it in each small detail. Liz knew  
that it might be the only time that he would share the sun with her. And even  
if it were possible, she would never wish him to remain human. He was what  
he was, and the loss of his gargoyle life, of the freedom to soar the skies,  
would break his spirit.

"Oh well," she breathed, "better to have had and lost..."

Their memories of this time together would have to last them both.

Ten minutes later, Liz glanced up to see that the limo was  
approaching the hotel. She was loath to wake him, but really had no choice.  
She began running her fingers through the hair on the side of his head.

"Time to wake up, big guy," she whispered.

His eyes opened slowly, glancing around before seeing her beside  
him. She could see that he was confused, but he recovered quickly.

"I fell asleep, didn't I?" he said, sitting up.

"You sure did. How did it feel?"

He frowned. "Strange. Not unpleasant, just strange. I don't  
remember falling asleep or dreaming. It is as though I simply lost some  
time.."

"Trust me, it usually doesn't happen that quickly. You've just  
been awake for too long," she said, as the limo pulled up to the  
entranceway.

When the doorman opened the door, he slid out and offered her a  
hand. She took it, and once out of the limo, they started inside.

During the elevator ride up to the penthouse, Liz noticed her  
companion's eyelids drooping. He was fighting back the need to sleep, but  
from long experience as a human, she knew it was a fight he would lose. As  
if he felt her eyes on him, Lyath seemed to snap instantly awake as he  
turned to look back at her.

Just then the elevator doors opened.

"Too late, Big Guy, I caught you drifting off!" Liz stepped over  
to the door to his suite. "Come on, unlock this door."

"What are we doing?" He looked confused, but opened the door.

"We are not doing anything, but you are going to take a nap." She  
led the way back towards his bedroom.

"Elisa..."

"Now, you know that there's no use arguing with me about this. You  
need some sleep! I have a few things I need to do anyway, so it's not as if  
you'd be missing out on anything." She reached over and pulled the  
bedspread down, motioning him to remove his shoes.

Goliath sat on the bed and pulled them off. Suddenly he let out a  
huge yawn and looked up at her guiltily when she snickered.

"Coat and tie." She held out her hand for the clothing in  
question, and placed them neatly on the chair when she got them. Returning  
to the Goliath, she lifted his feet and swung them up on the bed. In the  
next instant she had him covered with the bedspread. His alarm clock said  
that it was three forty. She set the alarm for five forty-five.

Turning back toward Goliath, who was watching her sleepily, she  
smoothed his hair back and kissed his forehead . "Pleasant dreams, big guy."  
He smiled at her and then rolled onto his left side facing her and the  
door to her quarters. His eyes closed.

Elisa returned to her own bedroom, where she retrieved the stack  
of letters and made herself comfortable on the bed. She rifled through them  
until she came up with the one from Goliath. It was folded in half and had  
a single thin, blue ribbon elegantly wrapped around it. It was dated one and  
a half weeks ago. She opened it and began to read the elegant, old fashioned  
script which she loved:

My Dear One,

How can I begin to tell you how deeply  
your absence has affected me? Nothing is the  
same since your departure. Even the updrafts  
near the Chrysler building hold little joy for  
me now.  
Still, life goes on, as is it's wont. I  
pray that you are in good health and that the  
case goes well. Though it may seem an eternity,  
I know that you will return to me soon and it  
is this thought which cheers my night.  
Just one more thing before I must stop  
writing and join the others on patrol; Be  
careful, for you risk not one life, but two.  
-G

PS - I have enclosed a copy of Shakespeare's  
Sonnet XLIV, since it seemed so appropriate.

On a second sheet was written:

If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,  
Injurious distance should not stop my way;  
For then, despite of space, I would be brought,  
From limits far remote, where thou dost stay.  
No matter then although my foot did stand  
Upon the farthest earth removed from thee;  
For nimble thought can jump both sea and land,  
As soon as think the place where he would be.  
But, ah, thought kills me, that I am no thought,  
To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone,  
But that, so much of earth and water wrought,  
I must attend time's leisure with my moan;  
Receiving naught but elements so slow  
But heavy tears, badges of either's woe.

Elisa reread the sonnet, and then carefully refolded the letter.  
She flopped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. No wonder Xanatos  
had sent him to her. Goliath had not been joking with her earlier when he  
said that the Clan had probably wanted to get rid of him. She had no idea  
that her leaving would have made him that miserable.

She was elated to find out that he had suffered from the  
separation as much as she had but at the same time she felt terrible that  
her decision to come here had grieved him so. 'Why did he save this letter  
for me?' she wondered. He probably simply wanted her to know how much he  
missed her. On the other hand, she guessed that the clan leader was not  
above inflicting a little guilt as pay-back for her abandonment.

Elisa went out to her office and returned shortly with her own  
copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets and a stationary set.

"OK, Big Guy, you wanted a reply..." she snickered.

* * *

Goliath awoke with a start as his clock-radio began playing music.  
After several attempts he managed to shut it off. Five forty-five. In a  
short while, he would once again be himself. He rose from the bed and made  
his way over to the dresser, from which he extracted his loincloth.

Looking up, he noticed a small envelope addressed to G. Obviously  
Elisa had written him a note in response to one of his letters. He swept  
it into the top dresser drawer to be read later on, when he had some time to  
himself.

Walking into the bathroom, he carefully removed the rest of his  
clothing and placed them in the hamper before donning the loincloth. It was  
loose on his waist, but he didn't dare tighten the belt beyond its usual  
notch, lest his transformation destroy it. He spied his jacket and tie on  
the chair and hung them up neatly in the closet.

There was a knocking at the door to Elisa's bedroom.

"Goliath? Are you up? Can I come in?" Elisa called.

He opened the door for her, being careful to keep a hand on his  
belt.  
"Hi, sleepy-head. Feel better now?" Elisa finished rounding the  
door and noticed that he had changed. Although she was used to seeing him in  
the loincloth, for some reason, the sight of his human form in the skimpy  
cloth made her heart rate climb.

"Much." came his terse reply. He was already turning away from  
her.

Goliath opened the French doors which led to his balcony and  
together they moved out onto it. The temperature had dropped quite a bit in  
the last few hours and that, combined with her having just a light blouse  
on, started her shivering. A glance at Goliath showed her that she wasn't  
the only one covered with goose-bumps.

"So this is what it is like to shiver," he commented to her. "I  
can't say that I am enjoying it much." At this, his teeth began to chatter.

"Just be thankful that you're not in Norway right now!" she  
laughed. "Next time, we'll bring a blanket out with us, either that, or  
stay inside." she replied.

Just then, the sun sank below the horizon. Elisa watched Goliath  
carefully, not wanting to miss the transformation. As he raised his hands to  
watch his fingers, she saw his complexion darken slightly and shift to  
lavender. His feet lengthened, growing sharp, clawed hocks, and clawed toes.  
His forehead sprouted small horns atop heavy brow ridges. His body  
increased in girth and mass. The forth finger on each hand seemed to melt  
away. Finally, wings sprouted from his back at the same time that his tail  
reappeared. He quickly added around seven inches in height.

Once again, Goliath stood before her in his true form.

"Wow! What a show!" Was all she could manage between her clenched,  
chattering teeth. In the next moment, those huge wings were draped around  
her, their velvet warmth making her sigh with pleasure. She looked up, her  
gaze holding his.

Goliath felt uncomfortable under the intensity of her stare. "What  
is it Elisa?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just that it's so very good to 'really' see you  
again, Big Guy."

He kissed her on the forehead. "Come. Let's get out of the cold."  
He guided her back inside.

Elisa moved in the direction of her bedroom. "Come on in," she  
said, throwing the door open wide. Goliath followed her out into the dining  
room, where his eyes widened at the candle-lit dinner which had been laid  
out. "I feel badly that Mary worked so hard on this meal. I'm not really  
even hungry yet." Elisa sighed.

"That's all right, Elisa. For some reason, I am famished this  
evening." Goliath replied as he circled the table. He realized, with a  
start that he was checking to make sure that Mary had laid the place  
settings correctly. Obviously, the spell of knowledge worked, regardless of  
the form he wore.

Realizing that Elisa was waiting for him to take a seat, he  
settled into the closest chair. Elisa uncovered the dishes and served him  
generous portions of each before taking the seat next to him and serving  
herself a small amount of each dish.

The food was delicious and the conversation enjoyable, but her  
companion's appetite was the most entertaining thing of all. Elisa watched  
in amazement as Goliath managed to devour everything over the course of the  
next hour. After the large meal they had eaten at the Mexican restaurant,  
she couldn't believe that he would be that hungry, but he was nearly putting  
Broadway's legendary appetite to shame. As he neatly, but effectively  
demolished the last of the food, Elisa remembered something which Sevarius  
had once told Xanatos and Derrick.

"Goliath, you don't usually eat this much, do you?" She raised an  
eyebrow at him.

"Only on rare occasions." He suddenly looked embarrassed, his  
cheeks turning a dark purple color. "I'm ...urh...you must think me a  
glutton."

She laid a hand comfortingly on his. "I don't think that at all,  
Goliath. I just think that your body is compensating for the fact that it  
hasn't been outside absorbing solar radiation all day." She smiled as his  
confused look was replaced with that of sudden comprehension. He must also  
have remembered what Sevarius had surmised.

The Dr. had said that without absorbing solar radiation, the  
Gargoyles would probably need to eat several cows a night to produce enough  
energy to power their huge wing muscles.

"Hopefully the Dr. was wrong. I don't much feel like preying on  
the surrounding area's milk cows."

"Are you still hungry?"

"Actually, I feel comfortably full."

"Demona never absorbs the sun's rays and I haven't heard of a  
single instance of cow theft or mutilation back home, so maybe Sevarius  
grossly overestimated the amount of energy you guys need." Elisa made to  
refill her wine glass and frowned when she realized the large bottle was  
empty. Had Goliath finished it too? She finished off her glass of water  
instead. "So, what should we do now? Watch a movie or go for a night time  
tour of the city - from above?"

"We'd best stick to the movie. I think I may be too full to enjoy  
the tour." He had the grace to look embarrassed again. "I also had more  
wine than I am used to."

A short while later, they were both seated on the sofa watching  
The Last Action Hero. Elisa had seen the movie before, but was enjoying  
Goliath's reactions to it.

Half way through the film, she began to feel sleepy and leaned  
against him. He surprised her by scooting to the end of the sofa and  
beckoning to her. She moved next to him and he lifted his legs up onto the  
sofa, tucking her under his arm so that she could sprawl alongside him.  
She tried to concentrate on the rest of the movie, but the sound of his  
unique heartbeat under her ear quickly lulled her off to sleep.

She awoke much later in her own bed. She was facing her right-  
hand end-table and she could see that the alarm read two am. As she was  
attempting to remember how she had gotten there, she realized that she was  
not alone. Goliath's arm was thrown over her waist...at least she hoped  
that large arm was his! Running her hand over her blanket confirmed  
that it had to be his arm, since the blanket was, in actuality, his wing.

She had fallen asleep on the sofa. He must have picked her up and put her  
to bed when the movie ended. The big question was, why had he joined her  
instead of returning to his own room?

She rolled over so that she was facing him. "Goliath..?" she  
whispered, not wanting to wake him if he was deeply asleep.

"...S'all right, Elisa. You're safe. Go back to sleep," he  
murmured sleepily.

'Maybe that bottle of wine really did affect him,' she wondered.

Within moments, she was sound asleep again.

* * *

Elisa awoke again to the feel of Goliath's hand stroking her hair.  
She immediately snuggled closer to him. The room's interior was still too  
dark for her to make out more than his outline against the lighter colored  
bedspread.

"What time is it?" she managed to mumble.

"Your alarm reads five forty."

"It's nearly dawn."

"I know." Goliath turned his attentions from her hair to her  
back, running a single talon lightly down her spine. Her shiver of delight  
encouraged him to continue his exploration of her back musculature.

"Goliath..."

He hushed her with a kiss.

Things began getting hot and heavy during the ensuing ten minutes  
as each kissed and touched the other. A part of Elisa's mind was saying  
'not now, we haven't got the time now!' while another part of her mind was  
saying 'We've waited so long...'

Goliath had just slid her wrinkled blouse off her shoulders when  
two things happened simultaneously. First the alarm went off, causing them  
to both flinch away from each other. Then, Goliath began to change back  
into his human form.

It was light enough at that point for Elisa to see a good portion  
of the change. The sudden loss of his warm wings brought goose-bumps up on  
her bare skin.

Although both were still breathing heavily from their unfinished  
love-play, they couldn't help but laugh at the bizarre timing of the two  
events.

Elisa reached behind her and slapped the alarm off. "Now that is  
what I call poor timing all around!" she muttered.

Both cringed guiltily when a sudden knocking came from her door.

"Miss, you are getting out o' that bed, aren't ya?" It was Mary.

"Yes, Mary. I'm up!" Elisa replied. She turned and whispered to  
Goliath. "She's the most punctual employee I've ever seen!"

"I'll 'ave your breakfast ready in a few minutes." came Mary's  
voice. "It's French Toast today." At this, she headed for the kitchen.

"I'd best be going..." Goliath looked sheepish.

"Enjoy that cold shower, Big Guy, you earned it!"

He gave her a sour look tinged with guilt, but then kissed her and  
made his way back to his own suite.

Goliath hurried with his shower. He had to admit that the warm  
spray felt wonderful. Too bad he hadn't the time to enjoy it. He used the  
soap and shampoo, rinsed off and exited the shower as quickly as he could.  
If he could get done quickly enough, he might be able to join Elisa for  
breakfast, otherwise he wouldn't see her again until this evening.

He managed to get through the dreaded tooth-brushing ritual  
without too much trouble and thankfully he didn't need to shave. What  
little beard he had grown yesterday had disappeared at sunset when he had  
reverted to his gargoyle form. Looking in the mirror this morning, he had  
discovered that his cheeks were smooth again...apparently his beard had to  
start growing from scratch after each transformation.

He had also been pleased to note that his human body was  
relatively hairless. He didn't know how Elisa felt about hairy men, but  
except for the velvet on the outside of their wing membranes, gargoyles  
had no body hair and he personally preferred to remain as unchanged as  
possible.

He exited the bathroom and made his way over toward his dresser  
while vigorously toweling his hair. Five minutes later, he was dressed and  
combing his damp hair back into a tail, which he fastened with a long cord  
of black suede. Before leaving his dresser, he made sure to retrieve the  
letter Elisa had left him. He turned it over a few times, wrestling with  
the temptation to read it now. With a sigh, he placed it in his breast  
pocket and quickly made his way over to Elisa's front door.

Rajitha answered it for him.

"Good morning, sir," she smiled.

"Good morning," he responded as he made his way towards the dining  
area.

He noticed with some disappointment that Mary was already clearing  
off the table. Fortunately she smiled and asked if he would like some  
breakfast.

"That would be appreciated, Mary," he smiled at her. "By the way,  
the meal last night was wonderful." He took a seat as she set a place for  
him.

"Lord, but you two must 'ave been starving! There was nothing  
left!" Mary shook her head as though she couldn't believe it. "It pleases me  
that you both enjoyed my cooking that much. I'll 'ave to make that again  
one day."

"Where is Miss Antelope, Mary? Has she already left?"

"She's in the shower, Mr. Stoneman. I'm sure she won't be out for  
a while yet, so you might as well take your time and enjoy your breakfast."

Lyath sipped his coffee, secretly relieved that he would have a  
chance to talk with her.

Thirty minutes later, she swept into the room. She was impeccably  
dressed in a red dress-suit with matching pumps. Her hair pulled back in a  
tail that was held in place with a red bow clip. The dress showed off a  
good portion of her thighs.

Lyath reminded himself to breathe and then came to his feet to  
greet her.

"Good morning, Miss Antelope," he smiled at her.

"Morning, Stoneman," she replied as Mary handed her a second mug of  
coffee. "You're here bright and early. Something I can do for you?" She  
raised her eyebrow but then winked at him when she was sure that they  
weren't being watched.

"As a matter of fact, I need to discuss a few things with you  
before you leave."

Liz turned away from him as she called for Rajitha. "Call my limo,  
would you," she addressed the housekeeper. "We'll be in my office. Buzz  
me when the limo is ready."

"Yes, Miss."

Liz made for the front door and led the way back to her office.  
Once inside, she placed her mug on the desk and turned to regard Goliath.  
He was looking handsome, as usual and she felt another twinge of regret that  
she would have to leave him to his own devices today. She supposed that it  
should be no different than when she had to work the night shift, leaving  
him and the clan to patrol without her, but somehow it wasn't the same. She  
couldn't help but want to stay with him...to share the wonders of the  
daytime and experience them through new eyes. She had to remind herself  
that he was here to help her on her assignment, not to keep her entertained.  
She had an obligation to solve this case as soon as possible and that meant  
that she would have to stop trying to think up ways to spend more time at  
the penthouse. Perhaps she'd better let him know not to expect every night  
to be like last night...

He was looking at her as though he were having similar thoughts.

He spoke first.

"Elisa...I apologize for this morning...I seem to have developed  
an appalling lack of control where you are concerned." He stepped closer  
and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, Goliath, it's all right..." she began, secretly pleased that  
she had such an effect on him.

He hushed her by holding a finger up to her lip. "Please, let me  
finish...I know that you have a lot to do today. I wanted to see you before  
you left to let you know...I don't expect you to be home early anytime  
soon."

Elisa let her breath out in a sigh. "I'm glad that you understand.  
I wish that we could be together...spend more time together."

"We will, Elisa, when the time is right. At the moment you have a  
case to solve. I'll help you in any way that I can, but you have to be the  
one to figure out how I can best do that."

The intercom buzzed once - Rajitha's signal that the limo was  
waiting. Goliath kissed her briefly on the forehead and then left the room.

* * *

A half hour later, Liz was seated in her office going over the case  
files with renewed determination. She was using a computer to sort out key  
facts in each of the break-ins. Over the course of the last three weeks  
she had looked for many different possible links between the robberies, but  
today she decided to look for less obvious connections.

Previously she had searched for employees who had worked at more  
than one of the companies. There had been a few such people, but each had  
simply switched jobs and were not considered suspects. Today she had  
suddenly realized that she should have executed that search a little bit  
differently.

A search of employees who had worked at more than one of the  
burglarized companies might not be as thorough as a search asking for a  
comparison of all those companies' ex-employees. She knew that she was  
grasping at straws, but what did she have to lose?

Against all odds, she hit pay-dirt. The top five people on the  
list had each worked at no less than five of the burglarized companies.  
None had worked at the same five companies, but together they represented  
every one of the burglarized companies but two. Those two unrepresented  
companies were Interdat and Nightstone Unlimited. Her heart skipped a few  
beats as she realized that she might have just gotten the break which she so  
desperately needed.

"Computers! Go figure!" she exclaimed as she turned back to her  
keyboard and began searching for similarities between the five people.

"Oh my God!" Liz nearly fell off her chair. The five suspicious  
people all currently worked for Interdat. Their immediate supervisor was  
Daniel Todd.

He had previously worked at Nightstone Unlimited.

Two hours later, the entire team was aware of the discovery.  
Additional information had been gathered on the suspects as well as on Todd.  
The five suspects were all women in their early twenties. They had done  
well during their various employments and each had simply given notice  
before moving on to the next company. They all grew up in the same four  
block area of DC, and had attended the same public schools.

Conners agreed with Liz's suspicion that the gang they were looking  
for could be found in the area the girls grew up in. He had some of the  
guys checking records to see if they could pin a name on the gang in  
question. None of the suspects had ever been in trouble with the law, and  
so their files contained no useful information in that regard.

The morning went by in a dizzying blur as information was sought,  
found and presented. They still had to come up with a plan for dealing with  
all of it, but for the moment Liz was back in her office eating a deli  
sandwich which her secretary had gotten her before going to lunch herself.

Once again her job was exciting. She had always loved the moment when small  
facts and leads started to add up to something bigger...and this  
showed a great deal of promise in that area! It was the part of her job  
she had always loved best...the time to come up with a plan, put it all on  
the line and wait for the payoff.

The only thing ruining the morning was that she wouldn't be able to  
share this with the big guy until she got home...

RING!

Liz snatched the phone. Maybe that was him now!

"Antelope speaking."

"Liz! How are you? It's Daniel."

She almost dropped the phone. Damn! The one time her secretary  
wasn't there to screen her calls!

"Daniel. I must say that this is a surprise." Liz struggled to  
keep her voice calm...bored even. "What can I do for you?"

"Actually, I was hoping that you'd let me take you out to dinner.  
Maybe tonight?"

"Uh..." Liz found herself at a loss. The man was probably  
dangerous...but then again, so was Tony Dracon, and she had eaten dinner  
with him in his own suite.

"Aw, come on, Liz! I promise to take you somewhere really nice, and  
maybe we can go see that new Vin Deisel movie afterward. I could really use  
the company..."

"OK, Daniel, you talked me into it," Liz forced a laugh. She just  
couldn't turn down the chance to obtain more info...that's why she was  
here, after all. Once she filled the others in on the "date", they'd keep  
careful dibs on her. Not to mention that with her guardian angel in town  
she should be safe enough.

"Great! How about I meet you at your place around seven?"

"I'll be there. See ya Daniel." With that, she hung up the receiver  
and bolted towards Conner's office.

* * *

Lyath had spent several hours in Liz's office paying bills and  
arranging meetings as well as dinner parties on her behalf. It was a boring  
job as far as he was concerned, but at least it had kept him busy.

Liz had called him a half hour ago to tell him she wouldn't be home  
till after seven. She had also asked him to tell Mary not to make dinner  
for her tonight, but she had not told him why. He figured that she was  
probably going to grab something at the office.

Glancing at his watch, he realized that it was nearly five thirty.  
He hadn't yet given Mary Liz's message, so he quickly headed back towards  
the suite. If she had already started preparing the meal...

"What am I worried about?" he thought as he entered the front door.  
"Technically I'm her boss. It's not as if she could give me a piece of her  
mind." Still, he did like Mary, and hoped that his delay had not caused  
her unnecessary work.

"Mary...," he began as he entered the kitchen. Mary turned from  
the counter where she was storing chopped vegetables in a Tupperware, to  
face him. "Liz called to say that she won't be eating dinner tonight," he  
finished as he realized that somehow she had already gotten the message.

"Oh, I know already sir," Mary grinned. "She's got herself a  
date."

"What?"

"Her date sent some flowers up for her. I read the card, just to  
make sure I should accept them." Mary pointed towards the dining room table.  
Not above causing a little jealousy in the name of love, she added, "Mr.  
Todd is such a nice fellow. I'm sure that they would make a great couple."

As Mary began shuttling food into the fridge, Lyath walked over to  
the flowers in question and opened the attached note.

Liz,  
I hope that this will be just the  
first of many shared meals. By  
now, I hope you know just how  
much I enjoy your company.

D. Todd

For only the second time in his life, Lyath felt the red hot  
emotion of jealousy sweep over him. He reminded himself that Elisa loved  
him. He reminded himself that she was under cover and probably had a very  
good reason for the date. It did nothing to calm his sudden anger.

Mary glanced toward the dinning room just as Mr. Stoneman turned  
and headed out towards the pool area. "How strange," she whispered to  
herself. "For a moment there it looked as though 'is eyes were glowing."  
She shrugged and finished wiping down the counters. "I've got to stop  
sipping the cooking wine..."

* * *

It was seven o'clock before Liz fumbled her way through the front  
door. She wasn't looking forward to her 'date' with Todd. All she really  
wanted was to put her feet up and snuggle with Goliath.

"Ah, well," she sighed. "Them's the breaks."

Elisa glanced around the suite and was not surprised to find  
herself alone. Mary had probably left after being told not to worry about  
dinner. Rajitha had probably left around six thirty. Goliath, now in his  
Gargoyle form, would not risk being caught in her quarters, lest she return  
with company.

As she made her way toward her bedroom, the bouquet on the dining  
room table caught her eye. She frowned as she read the note. Chances were  
good that the Big Guy had read it as well. She'd better go fill him in on  
all the new information and she'd better be quick about it. Daniel would be  
arriving within the hour and it just wouldn't do to have him pounded to a  
pulp by an angry, three hundred pound gargoyle.

Elisa moved through her bedroom and stopped before the door to  
Goliath's room. She knocked and called out to him. There was no answer.  
Alarmed, she pushed the door open and slowly entered.

"Goliath?"

The lights in his room were on. The bed was made. She did a quick  
walk through and discovered that the sliding doors on his balcony were  
unlocked. He had obviously gone out gliding.

"Geez, you'd think that he would at least have waited for me," she  
scowled. "I sure hope he's not in a snit about that note."

Resigned to the fact that she probably wouldn't see him until she  
returned, Elisa moved back into her bedroom, taking care to lock the  
adjourning door so that she could dress in privacy.

Ten minutes later, Elisa, now dressed in a low cut silk blouse and  
a slinky cobalt blue skirt which showed a sinful amount of leg, was pinning  
her hair up when she heard Goliath's balcony doors banging shut. A moment  
later there was a soft rap on her door.

"Elisa?" came his familiar baritone.

Holding her hair up with one hand, she unlocked the door for him.  
They grinned at each other, both happy to see the other again.

"Ummm, I need to step back over to the bathroom mirror to finish  
fixing my hair. Why don't you follow me...I don't have much time and I need  
to fill you in on our new leads."

Goliath had a seat on the edge of the huge Jacuzzi and watched with  
interest as she finished pinning up her hair.

"Who is this Todd fellow? Why are you going out with him?" Goliath  
finally groused out. "And another thing...why are you putting your hair up  
and wearing that...skimpy...thing!"

Elisa laughed before she moved back out into the bedroom and began  
throwing things in her purse. Then they both moved out to the garden where  
she managed to fill him in on everything which had happened.

"To answer your earlier question," she laughed. "My hair is up  
because I have a small microphone hidden in it."

Goliath's eyes widened.

"Don't worry. It's not on yet. The remote is in my purse." She  
laid a hand on his arm. "The rest of the guys will be watching and  
listening. There's no reason for you to worry."

He snorted in reply. "You still haven't explained your clothing.."

"Then I take it that you like it?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ur...of course I do...but should you..." Goliath stopped short as  
Elisa placed his clawed hand on her stocking encased thigh and slid it  
upwards. "Elisa!" he growled, looking shocked and pleased all at the same  
time.

"Just a reminder, Big Guy. I may be going out with him, but I'll  
be thinking of you the whole time." She let go of his hand and wrapped her  
arms around his waist in a hug.

Goliath hugged her back and they spent a few peaceful moments  
together before the intercom buzzed, announcing Todd's arrival.

Planting a quick kiss on Goliath's cheek, she headed down to the  
lobby to meet Daniel.

* * *

"...but enough about Interdat. Have you heard about all the  
corporate break-ins yet?" Todd looked across the table at her with wide  
eyes.

Liz, who was in the middle of sipping her wine, nearly choked when  
he changed the subject. They were dining in the fabulous Chanteur's Room of  
the very expense L'Hotel Cardinal. So far it had been a pleasant, if  
stressful evening.

"I had heard about them," she admitted.

"Well, what are your thoughts on the subject?" Daniel leaned  
closer, eagerly awaiting her reply.

She gave him the one she figured he wanted. "Whoever is behind  
them is very clever and very well equipped."

"Like your old gang?" he smiled at her in a way that made her skin  
crawl.

Apparently, he had been checking her records. Time to really start  
acting.

"How do you know about that? Who the hell do you think you are,  
delving into my personal files?" She hissed across the table. She made as  
if to leave the table, but his hand clamped down on her arm, preventing her  
escape.

"Whoa! Liz, I didn't mean to offend you. Please sit down and let  
me explain myself."

With a sour look, she resumed her seat and waited for him to  
continue.

* * *

Goliath perched in the shadows of the building across the street.  
From the roof he could see the restaurant entrance inside the hotel lobby  
and the non-descript surveillance van parked further down at the corner.

Although he supposed that Elisa would be safe enough, at least  
tonight, Goliath was still not about to leave her safety in the hands of  
strangers. He still had not forgotten that disturbing dream which seemed to  
be predicting a separation. It bothered him that he could not actually see  
her through the front windows, which were made of stained glass. Still, he  
would be here if she should need him.

Goliath squatted down in a posture which was for a gargoyle just as  
comfortable as sitting was for a human. This was bound to be a long night,  
and he was already beginning to feel fatigued. He pulled Elisa's note out  
from where he had tucked it under his belt. A smile touched his mouth as he  
anticipated finally reading it. With one last scan up and down the street,  
he opened the envelope and read:

Goliath,  
The time we spent apart was  
just as difficult for me as it was  
for you. It was unfair of you to  
use the Bard against me. After  
all, how could I possibly top anything  
which he might write? Why, by quoting  
him right back to you, of course!

Elisa

On a second piece of paper he found the sonnet in question.

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,  
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;  
But then begins a journey in my head,  
To work my mind, when body's work's expired:  
For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,  
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,  
And keeping my drooping eyelids open wide,  
Looking on darkness which the blind do see:  
Save that my soul's imaginary sight  
Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,  
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,  
Makes black night beauteous and her old face new,  
Lo, thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,  
For thee and for myself no quiet find.

Sonnet XXVII  
William Shakespeare

Goliath laughed out loud when he had finished the note. Elisa could  
not have picked a better sonnet in answer to the one he had sent her. The  
sonnet chided him with a gentle reminder that she had not exactly enjoyed  
their separation either.

Elisa's mother had once told him a bit about her schooling after he  
had gently prodded her for a few stories from Elisa's youth. Diane had at  
one point told him that her daughter had majored on Psych at Columbia, and  
then cautioned him against attempting to play mind games with the Maza in  
question.

Goliath found that he was still smiling in remembrance of Diane's  
warning. She had told him stories about Elisa on several occasions when she  
had dropped by to visit the Clan. To this day, he was relatively certain  
that Elisa had no idea that her Mother made such visits. She probably  
wouldn't have approved of her mother's stories either, but he had loved  
every one of them.

Diane had seemed to accept him as well, which had done a great deal  
toward convincing him that he and Elisa could overcome their species  
differences and somehow make a closer relationship work.

Once, she had even told the clan a little about the early days when  
she and Peter were first starting out.

Broadway had been upset by an incident in which he had finally  
gotten up the nerve to approach a pretzel vender near the park. It was the  
same cart which he had pilfered the second night that the clan had been in  
Manhattan. Goliath had insisted that he make reparation for the food he had  
taken, so a week after the first incident, he had dropped a sack of coins  
with an apology note inside on the fellow's cart.

The good-hearted gargoyle had tried to approach the man several  
times in the past few years, wanting to offer a verbal apology and perhaps  
buy a snack, but his nerve had always failed him...until the night in  
question.

Wearing his fedora and trenchcoat, he had approached with a  
pleasant, "Hey, friend - I'll have a pretzel!"

The vender grabbed one out from under the warming lights and turned  
toward Broadway. "Ya want mustard or..." The fellow's mouth gaped open as  
Broadway removed his hat. "Schnikies!" he exclaimed.

"Mister, I'm real sorry about what I did to your cart a while back,  
and ..." here Broadway's apology ended as the vender smacked him across the  
cheek with his tongs.

"YOU! I don't want you around here ya damn freak!" The vender  
smacked the startled gargoyle again. "I know what you are! You ain't no  
gargoyle like they're saying on the news! You're a Demon! Some sort of  
filthy devil sent to torment me!

SMAK! He landed a good one on top of Broadway's head. The crushed  
gargoyle needed no more incentive to leave. He ran off into the park with  
the vender still screaming a steady stream of expletives at him.

By the time he had entered the common area of the castle where the  
rest of the clan were listening to Diane relating the newest gossip about  
Talon's clan, it was obvious that he was very upset over something.

Diane had been able to draw the story of his encounter with the  
vendor out of him. "Broadway, people are quite often cruel to those who are  
'different' than themselves. Whether the difference is racial or cultural...  
humans tend to fear the unknown, and unfortunately they also tend to react  
viciously." She patted the large gargoyle comfortingly on the back.

"What you need to do is wear him down. Don't give up on him! You  
need to slowly get him used to you...make yourself familiar." Here Diane  
chuckled.

"Why, I remember when Peter and I moved into our first apartment.  
Peter had made all the arrangements. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately,  
he had neglected to mention that I was Black...

This did not go over well with the landlord, Mr. Ryan! Although he  
allowed us to stay, he made it quite clear that he didn't approve of  
interracial marriages! He had very little to do with us and even if we  
needed something repaired he would take his time getting around to it.

Well, Broadway, we always treated him respectfully. We always said  
hello to him or good evening if we ran into him somewhere. We always sent  
him a Christmas card and of course we went out of our way to be model  
tenants - we didn't want to give him any excuse to be rid of us.

In the meantime, we made a lot of friends in that building. Some of  
them were on very good terms with Mr. Ryan and I'm sure he heard alot about  
us through them.

One night someone began pounding on our door. When Peter checked,  
he found a very frightened Mr. Ryan out in the hallway. He told Peter he had  
just returned home and found his door ajar. He believed that there was  
somebody still inside.

Peter called it in and grabbed his gun. He had Mr. Ryan stay with  
me while he checked it out.

Within the half hour it was all over. The burglar had indeed still  
been inside. Peter captured him. Backup had taken Ryan's statement and left  
with the thief. The three of us ended up in his apartment trying to restore  
some semblance of order as the thief had been pretty thorough in his search  
of the place.

Mr. Ryan insisted that we call him Frank after that. He fixed us  
some tea and thanked us for our help. From that point onward he was not only  
nice to us, but became a very close friend. When Elisa insisted on being  
born during a terrible snow storm, it was Frank who drove me to the  
hospital. You should have seen him dote on her when she was small!

Frank died when Elisa was two years old. We still miss him.  
Broadway, think of all the wonderful years we would have missed with him if  
we had just decided to hate him..."

"Wow!" was Broadway's reply as Diane finished her story. "So you  
really think I oughta try again with the vender?"

"Mmm-hmm. Just make sure he hasn't got a gun first."

At Broadway's suddenly frightened look, the whole clan had burst  
out laughing.

Goliath wondered if he had approached that vender yet, and resolved  
to ask Broadway about it when he got back to New York. He put Elisa's note  
away and turned his attention back toward the restaurant below.

* * *

Many hours later, a weary Liz managed to bid Todd good-bye in the  
lobby while still avoiding a kiss. Now she leaned against the wall of the  
elevator and briefly closed her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to get  
some sleep, but she knew that she would still have to talk with Conners and  
Maddox before she could turn in.

Liz entered her apartment and quickly moved toward her room to  
caution Goliath about the soon-to-arrive company. He was waiting for her and  
swept her up for a quick hug and kiss.

"Promise me that you'll fill me in before you go to bed?"

"I promise," had been her quick reply before the door chime  
sounded.

Liz let Conners and Maddox in, offering to make them some decaf  
coffee. They discussed how they should handle Todd.

"He asked me to take some time and think over the offer to join his  
little operation. I think that he wants to make me a crucial member of the  
team. Perhaps..." Liz stopped pacing and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.  
"Perhaps if I showed a quick interest in joining, he would feel more at  
ease. I might get into the organization quicker than if I stalled."

"Either that or you'll spook him, make him feel that you're too  
interested," Conners countered.

"Yeah, but he recruited her," Maddox replied. "He'd have no reason  
to suspect that she was setting him up."

"Unless, he thought that I did that sort of thing on a regular  
basis. Remember that he has no idea of what I might have been doing in New  
York the past few years." Liz poured some coffee for them and sat down. "Of  
course he's on his guard, he hasn't eluded the police this long by being  
careless. I think he's pretty sure that I'll play his game, though. We've  
made him believe that I've moved back here to live off my profits and enjoy  
the good life. He probably figures that I might want one last thrill, but  
without compromising my social standing. He can use that against me if I get  
out of line."

Conners downed his coffee. "So what do you suggest?"

"How about if I invite him to lunch tomorrow? I could let him  
convince me a little more, and then sign on the line."

"We could set up surveillance in your office and listen in," Maddox  
suggested.

"That might be too risky. We should probably use Stoneman's suite  
in case Todd wants to talk to you in the office," Conners pointed out.

Liz took a deep breath. "Speaking of Stoneman, it's about time that  
we brought him in on this. As you heard, Todd suspects that I have a  
'relationship' with him. I'm gonna let Todd know that Stoneman will be  
joining us for lunch."

"Don't you think that might scare Todd off?" Conners looked  
uncertain.

"Hey, if I was a pro, planning to cross him in some way, would I be  
that obvious? I think that 'fessing up' that my Majordomo is my significant  
other may actually put Todd more at ease." She looked at Conners and  
Maddox, who were both looking at each other.

"I'm not convinced of that," Conners began.

"But, let's try it." Maddox finished.

Liz laughed. "You two have definitely been working together too  
long!"

Maddox laughed with her. "Tell me about it!"

"OK, Liz, since you'll be entertaining here, there's no reason for  
you to come in to the office tomorrow. We'll be by at around ten AM. That  
sound good?"

"Sounds great." Liz walked them to the elevator. "Night, guys!"

"Night. Oh, tell Stoneman he's gonna have to start sitting in on  
our meetings!"

Fortunately, the elevator doors closed before Liz had to answer.

"Crap. This could get a little sticky," she mumbled to herself.

Moving back into her suite, she locked the door and made her way to  
Goliath's bedroom. When her knock on the door brought no response, she poked  
her head inside.

He was sound asleep. She moved around to the other side of his bed  
and in the soft glow of the lamp regarded his still form fondly. Goliath  
was lying on his right side facing her. His right wing was hanging off the  
bed behind him while his left wing covered the rest of him like a blanket.  
She felt a very strong desire to crawl under that warm wing and never emerge  
again.

Looking at his face, she found it very hard to believe that anyone  
would mistake him for a monster. He was her gentle giant and she found him  
handsome beyond imagining.

As if he sensed her thoughts, his eyes opened slowly and his gaze  
locked on her own. Those twin pools of onyx seemed to be drinking her soul,  
feasting on the desire which unguarded, must have been showing on her face.

With a sudden, ragged intake of breath, he lifted his wing and  
opened his arms to her. She was in them before she even realized that she  
had moved. She clutched him tightly, trying to show him without words how  
much she yearned for him, and felt him nuzzling her hair with his cheek. As  
she lifted her face to look up at him, she was rewarded with a passionate  
kiss, as his mouth dipped down and found her own.

How could she ever have imagined that a kiss could mean so much?  
They tasted each other, nibbling and licking...exploring. Then they drank  
in each other's scent as they each caught their breath.

Goliath began nibbling on her ear and neck, his breath hot against  
her skin. His sharp teeth ran gently over her pulse points, causing her to  
shiver deliciously as goosebumps appeared on her arms. She moaned, melting  
in his embrace, unable to resist anything he did to her.

His mouth moved toward the front of her throat and he trailed kisses  
and nibbles down her neck until he encountered the first button of her blouse.  
Confounded by the difficulty of unbuttoning her blouse with his large, clawed  
hands, he instead took the faster, least accepted approach for undressing one's  
lover.A quick motion of his claws popped the button off as easily as any pair of  
scissors would have. Button by button he worked his way downward until he  
was able to easily slide the garment off her shoulders.

Goliath paused, folding his left wing behind him so that he could  
take in the sight of her in her cream-colored demi bra. Judging by the way  
he growled and his tail started twitching, he liked what he saw.

Encouraged by his admiration, Elisa decided to become a bit more  
aggressive. While he looked on, she reached down and slowly slid her skirt  
down her hips and thighs before sliding her legs the rest of the way out  
and flipping it to the floor with one foot. Underneath, she was wearing a  
pair of very skimpy cream-colored lace panties. She knew that they were  
somewhat see-through.

He began to tremble as he realized it as well. One shaky hand reached  
out as he gently ran a clawed finger down her belly, pausing to briefly explore her navel.

"Elisa..." he groaned, reaching for her again.

She evaded his hands, gently pushing him over onto his back and  
straddling his belly. It was her turn to do a little exploring.

Leaning forward, she nibbled his lips before trailing her way down  
his throat to his chest. She ran her hands over the large flying muscles there,  
feeling them tense and bulge beneath her touch. Then she sought out the small,  
nearly unnoticeable nubs of his nipples and licked them, teasing them with her  
tongue. It was difficult to tell if the sudden growling was in response to  
that action on her part or to her having slid downward till she was sprawled  
astride his inflamed member.

She too gasped as her crotch slid over him. There was no longer  
any doubt in her mind that he was huge!

For the first time it dawned on her that Goliath was right to fear the  
possibility of a physical impediment to their union.

Realizing that he was watching her, she lifted her eyes towards his own,  
afraid that he would see that she was, after all, frightened. Yet, as their gazes  
locked, she saw that the expression in his eyes mirrored her own. His words of  
the day before came back to her and she knew that he was feeling the same  
anxiety, but to a greater degree.

She cupped his cheek with her hand and suddenly found herself  
whispering, "You know how I feel about you, right?"

They were the best possible words, for his face lit up as he replied,  
"How we both feel... Yes."

"Good!" With that, she shook off her fright, leaned forward and distracted  
him by searching for his navel...with her tongue.

Knowing that even animals which hatched from eggs had umbilical  
cords and tended to absorb their yolk sacs late during their development,  
she figured that there would be some evidence of a navel on his belly.

Unbuckling his belt, she slid it off him and tossed it on the floor. His  
hands kneaded her shoulders, encouraging her to continue her exploration as  
she slowly ran her tongue lower and lower down his belly, pushing his  
loincloth out of the way with her chin as she went.

"Hmm, I wonder what I'll run into first," she thought to herself,  
"his navel or ...oops! This definitely wasn't his navel!" She worked his  
loincloth the rest of the way off and leaned back a little so that she  
could get a better look at him.

Beneath her, she felt him tense up. He was watching her  
carefully, still afraid that she would be repulsed by what she saw.

She noted with some surprise that he had no pubic hair. Since she  
had never seen any evidence of body hair on him, she knew that she should  
have realized that it might be so - not that she objected.

His genitalia were a darker lavender color than the rest of him and he had  
large testicles which, aside from their size were not really out of the ordinary.

His member, however, was an entirely different matter. It was  
recognizably a phallus, but most definitely "different"... as in "not human".  
Large and heavy, it ended in an oddly tapered end which actually twitched  
in a bizarre prehensile way when she lightly stroked her fingers up his length.

She found herself wondering what evolutionary function such a design served.  
Was it perhaps so that gargoyles could mate in the air?

He was thick enough around that she again worried that they might very  
well be incompatible. He was long enough that she knew she would barely  
be able to accommodate half his length.

Despite her fears, she was fascinated by him and couldn't resist lightly  
running her fingertips back down the length of his member, the first two thirds  
of which was flushed a deep maroon color.

Goliath immediately arched his back and groaned.

Aware that it wasn't quite enough, that he still dreaded her reaction,  
she reassured him by husking out, "You're beautiful."

He closed his eyes and sighed as his body relaxed somewhat. When  
he again raised his lids to look at her, his expression melted her heart.

"As are you," he whispered back.

He immediately tensed up again when she grasped him as best she  
could around the base of his member and bent down to run her tongue all  
the way to the tip. His skin was as smooth and slick as the inside of her  
cheek and she found that she loved the way he smelled and tasted. Within  
moments she was attacking him voraciously.

Goliath clawed the bed sheets and made noises which were half way  
between being a groan and a growl.

"Oh Elisa!" he moaned.

His voice had the power to make her weak in the knees under  
ordinary circumstances. Now the noises he was making drove her wild with  
desire for him and spurred her on to continue pleasing him. And she would  
have continued her maddening stimulation of him, except that he suddenly  
let out a loud, aggressive growl and sat up, pulling her up to his chest so that  
he could ravish her mouth with his own.

"Elisa!" he growled as he began nipping her neck, "You make me  
mad with want of you!"

His claws made quick work of removing her bra. Growling more loudly,  
he tugged on her hair, pulling her head back and forcing her to arch against him.

She moaned as he sucked and nibbled on each breast in turn and  
her own hands tangled in his hair as his mouth returned to nibble her neck.

He grasped her derriere with his free hand, pushing her forward against  
him while he rocked his hips. His rock hard member rubbed her through her  
panties, causing her to soak through the crotch.

She was dimly aware that he was getting rough and knew that she had  
to say or do something before things got out of control. As much as she  
wanted him, she didn't want to get hurt.

Elisa tugged suddenly, sharply on Goliath's hair.

"Goliath!"

She realized she had his attention, as the dazed look in his eyes  
gave way to a look of concern. Instantly he released his hold on her hair.

"Elisa...I'm sor..." Was all he got out before she kissed his  
apology away. She hugged him to her, feeling his arms close tightly around her  
in return.

"We just need to be careful, Big Guy," she whispered. Her voice sounded  
strangely throaty even to her. "You might be a bit more than I can handle."

He drew back so that he could examine her face and his own expression  
became one of consternation as he understood what she was saying

"Tell me the truth," he gasped. "Is it possible for us?"

"It's possible..." she breathed, sounding unconvincing even to her own ears.

He cupped her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "Will you be hurt?"

She shook her head. "Maybe. I don't know..."

He abruptly lifted her up off his lap and deposited her on the bed as he stood up.  
Startled by his sudden exit from the bed, Elisa stared up at him wordlessly.

Goliath had wrapped his wings tightly around himself and appeared  
to be very agitated. When he spoke, his voice shook.

"My Love, we cannot do this... I would rather die than hurt you."

"Goliath! Please don't do this to us! There's no reason we can't at  
least try.. I only said that we'd need to be careful." Here she flopped  
onto her back and skinned off her panties. "Besides, one way or the other,  
we can still make this a night to remember!" She held out her arms to him.  
"Please come back to bed. I love you... I need you!"

For a moment she thought he would balk, but then his love for her -  
as well as his own need - decided things. The bed groaned under his  
returning weight as he leaned over her and swept her back up in a kiss.  
After a moment, he slid downward to do some exploring of his own.

She had a few moments of anxiety, worrying that he might find  
her strange and be put off by what must, to him, be alien. So this was  
how he had felt just a few moments ago... That fear passed as soon  
as she heard his deep growling begin again.

The feel of those sharp claws running delicately, teasingly over  
her skin as he explored her most private areas was nearly more than she  
could bear. It was her turn to gasp and shake as he examined her. After a  
few moments, his head dipped down lower. He licked and probed her delicately  
with his tongue, causing her to squirm with pleasure. In mere moments he was  
rewarded with her sudden cry as she writhed in the grip of an intense  
orgasm. Still out of breath, she began tugging at him, trying to pull him back  
up towards her.

He resisted playfully at first, but then gave in to her pleas.

Goliath finally rose over her, covering her with his huge form. His  
wings seemed to block out everything, making him her only focal point.  
She was ready. A glance showed that he was in a bad way too. They were  
both trembling. They had waited so long...

Their eyes locked and in the next moment Elisa felt the tip of him  
probing around for entrance. The sensation made her squirm with anticipation  
and she couldn't help but thrust herself towards him in her impatience. Then she  
moaned as he began to slide into her.

His initial entrance met little resistance, but as he began to stretch her  
with his girth, his expression became grim rather than joyful. He held her head  
in both his huge, clawed hands, never allowing her gaze to leave his own as he  
watched her for even the smallest sign of distress.

Unable to look away, Elisa moaned at the feel of him, yet she could  
not prevent her eyes from widening as the pressure suddenly increased.

He immediately stopped, then bent down and began kissing her.

They were both panting, drawing in ragged breaths as pleasure and  
fear both warred within them.

Then Goliath began to withdraw and thrust back in small increments.

"Yes! Oh yes..." she moaned, overcome by the sensation, the  
fear suddenly gone.

A steady, deep rumble issued from him as he began to slowly  
increase the pressure, entering her further with each thrust, yet still studying her  
face for the slightest sign that he should stop.

Eventually, feeling that she would split, despite the pleasure,  
Elisa planted her feet on his hips, signaling him that she could take no more.

Leaning down on his elbows, he released her head and kissed her  
again as they both shook with emotion.

After nearly three years of sharing a true, but seemingly hopeless  
love for one another, they were finally one.

The deep rumble escaping Goliath increased in volume as he  
began to slowly rock his hips, moving gently within her. Elisa  
adjusted to the pressure of his presence within and was soon  
urging him to move more quickly.

His fear of hurting her finally subsiding, he rocked more strongly  
against her, one arm snaking under her to massage her rump as he nibbled  
her neck, growling softly, but continuously near her ear.

In all her twenty eight years, Elisa had never felt such intense  
pleasure as she did now. She was vaguely aware that she was  
vocally complimenting his rumble. She began to shake uncontrollably  
as the pleasure built until she felt certain that she would have a stroke.

Knowing exactly what he was doing, Goliath intentionally slowed his  
pace but began moving in very long strokes, nearly withdrawing and then  
entering as far as he dared. Still, we was caught off guard when only  
two such moves caused her to cry out his name and arch violently.

With an awesome display of adrenaline-induced strength, Elisa  
nearly bucked Goliath off her as she convulsed beneath him.

The sight, smell, sound and feel of her at that moment prooved to  
be too much for the lavender giant. The next thing Elisa was aware of  
was his eyes glowing as he reared back and roared. He pushed into her  
so deeply that she thought she would burst and in the next instant she  
felt him contracting powerfully within her.

A small flood ran out of her and onto the already ruined sheets and  
she dimly wondered if she should have taken precautions - just in  
case. But then she quickly put such thoughts out of her head. After all, it was  
impossible for members of unrelated species to interbreed. Reaching up, she  
pulled him down to her, wrapping her arms around him.

"I love you," she gasped tiredly as she smoothed his hair.

Goliath, just as short of breath as she, rolled onto his side and covered  
them both with his left wing. Holding her close to him, he rained kisses over her face.

"I've always loved you, Elisa. I always will." Suddenly his  
expression hardened again. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously. "I did not  
harm you?"

Elisa smiled and sighed, "Nothing that a few hours sleep won't  
heal. No, handsome, I'm afraid that you're going to have to do that to me  
again before the alarm clock goes off."

She was rewarded with the sound of his rare laughter. She smiled as  
well, snuggled closer and quickly fell into an exhausted sleep.

For the longest time Goliath watched her sleep, almost unable to  
believe how lucky he was. Against all odds, they had chosen to make a  
commitment to each other and sealed that commitment with this final physical  
act.

She was his mate! He could hardly believe that it had finally come  
to be so.

Stroking her hair, he fell into a peaceful sleep, dreaming dreams  
of what could yet be...

* * *

Goliath awoke with a start to find himself alone in the bed.  
Squinting at the clock he saw that it was not quite five am. Deeply worried  
by Elisa's absence, he moved toward the glow coming from his living room.

She was curled up on the sofa reading the letters from their clan.  
A glass of water was on the table near her elbow. He noted that she had  
thrown on one of his shirts, which was unbuttoned down to her navel.

Goliath paused and watched her for a while, content to drink in the  
sight of her. Now and then a smile would play across her face as she found  
something she had read amusing.

Elisa looked up as Goliath padded over to her. Although his wings  
were caped about him, he was otherwise naked. He squatted down before her  
seemingly unaware of the effect he was having on her libido.

"Are you all right Elisa?" he asked as he placed his clawed hand on  
her shoulder.

Yeah, I just failed open and figured that I would read for a  
while." At the confused look on his face, she translated. "I was suddenly  
wide awake."

"Are you enjoying the letters?"

"Mmm-hmm." She smiled at him but then found her gaze traveling  
downward over his form. With a shock she found that at the moment, his  
privates looked no different than those of any uncircumcised man. Elisa  
looked back up at Goliath, who was patiently waiting for her to finish  
her once over with an amused expression on his face.

Turning the table lamp up to a brighter setting, Elisa leaned  
forward and suddenly placed her forefinger on his belly.

"Aha!" She exclaimed as she rubbed the small, diamond-shaped scar  
under her finger. "I knew it was here somewhere."

Looking down and seeing that she had found the remnants of his  
navel, Goliath burst out laughing.

"I'm afraid that I am sorely lacking in the navel department."

"Maybe so, but you sure aren't lacking anywhere else." Seeing that  
he was in a humorous mood, Elisa decided to risk a personal question.

"Goliath, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

Where did the rest of it go?" Elisa pointed at his genitals.

Goliath blushed three shades darker and stared at her in shock.

Realizing that she had perhaps been too blunt, Elisa blushed as  
well, but her curiosity would not let her drop the subject. "I'm not making  
fun of you, Goliath," she explained. "I'm just incredibly ignorant of  
gargoyle anatomy."

He nodded his understanding and sat on the sofa next to her.

"It is still there, only most of it is now inside."

"You mean it's retracted, like with a horse?" She was amazed.

"Yes... Elisa, are you saying that this does not happen with human  
males?"

"That's right." She pulled him up onto the sofa next to her and  
began running her hands over the parts they were discussing,  
wanting to see for herself what would happen.

"Uhhh..." he was having trouble talking. "What exactly...uhhhhh  
...what exactly does happen to human...ah Elisa..." He momentarily gave up  
trying to talk.

She had begun licking the five inches which had so far emerged,  
causing the rest of him to make a very quick reappearance.

He was too distracted to ask her his question until much later that  
morning, and by then he was human - and already knew the answer.

* * *

The new lovers spent a leisurely morning together. Elisa filled  
Goliath in on everything which had happened during her 'date' with Todd. He  
was pleased that Conners and Maddox were now including him in their  
meetings, for he was eager to become more active in the case.

They showered together, dressed and met in her dining room where  
they enjoyed the big breakfast Mary had prepared them. The two of them  
practically inhaled the waffles as fast as Mary made them, something which  
pleased her no end. Liz caught the wink and smile that Mary threw her way as  
Lyath polished off his fifth waffle. When Mary disappeared back into the  
kitchen she leaned toward him.

"Mary knows about us," she whispered.

"I am glad that at least one person does," he grumped. At the  
unhappy look which crossed her face he squeezed her hand and kissed it. "I  
just wish..." he began.

She interrupted him. "Perhaps one day, we won't have to live secret  
lives, but for now I am very grateful for what I've already got." It was  
apparently just the right thing to have said, for she was rewarded with one  
of his rare smiles.

"As am I," he replied.

"Yeah, and besides... unless you find a way to get rid of your bed  
linens before Rajitha arrives, all the staff will know."

Lyath grinned. "I was just thinking that myself. Don't worry - I'll replace  
them and in the future..." here he leaned in close and whispered, "I'll  
try not to shred them up if you try not to make me lose my mind."

"That's never gonna happen," she laughed,just before Mary returned to  
pour more coffee.

* * *

By ten-thirty Conners and Maddox had finished setting up in  
Lyath's suite. Liz had the microphone hidden under her dress this time. The  
Detectives would be able to listen in on the conversation and tape it.

Lyath was doing well with them, and they seemed to have taken a  
liking to him, although at one point he had given Maddox a deadly look as he  
was helping to tape Liz's listening device under her bustline.

By eleven everything was in place and Liz, sitting on her patio,  
nervously awaited Daniel's arrival.

She didn't have to wait long.

Rajitha appeared before her. "Miss, Mr. Todd has arrived," she  
announced.

Liz stood up as he approached and allowed him to kiss her hand.

"Good day, Daniel." She gave him a radiant smile.

"Liz. Thank-you for inviting me." He smiled back at her.

She indicated the chair next to her and they both sat down as  
Rajitha reappeared with two iced teas and some broiled, skewered shrimp.

Liz and Daniel made small talk for a while until Liz mentioned  
Lyath.

"Yes, where is your Majordomo?" Todd looked around.

"He's in my office. You know, Daniel, I never do anything without  
him." She set down her glass. I trust him with my life and he knows  
everything about me."

"Surely not everything?" Todd thought he was being funny.

"Everything."

Here, Todd looked shocked and even a bit angry. "So he's your  
lover. Why are you telling me this?"

"If you want me on your 'team' you take him on too."

"You can't expect me to trust him just because he shows you a good  
time."

Liz frowned. "Let him in on it or count me out."

Daniel remained silent for a time, apparently weighing his options.  
He was upset to find out that she was banging the help, but he was  
confident he could eventually win her away. If not, well, perhaps Mr.  
Stoneman would get careless, after all almost anything could happen on an  
operation like this. Yes, it was a perfect way to set up a little  
'accident'.

Daniel sighed and smiled at Liz. "Okay, he's in, but he's your  
responsibility. Just one slip-up and nobody will ever find his remains,  
understand?"

Liz's face reflected her shock at the ruthless words he had spoken.  
Just then he nudged her with the back of his hand and burst out laughing.

"That was a joke, Liz! Jeez, what kind of person do you think I  
am?"

She wasn't laughing. "A dangerous one."

He stopped laughing as well. "That's precisely right."

After a few tense minutes, Liz beeped Stoneman and asked him to  
join them for lunch.

Daniel was telling her a story about his ex-boss, Dominique when  
Lyath stepped out onto the patio. "Good day, Mr. Todd," he rumbled.

Todd literally did a double take and then dropped his glass,  
causing it to shatter on the ground.

Liz and Lyath exchanged looks. Todd's mouth was gaping open as  
though he had seen a ghost. Before either could ask him if he was all right,  
Daniel suddenly recovered and spoke.

"Mr. Thailog? My God! I felt sure that Dominique had killed you!"

It was Liz and Lyath's turn to gawk stupidly. Lyath attempted to  
say something but all that came out was, "Urr..."

Daniel continued his run-on questions. "Where have you been? What  
are you doing here? What's going on?"

"Mr. Todd, I feel certain that you and I have never actually met.  
How do you know that I am Alexander Thailog?" Several years of watching Liz  
at work had fortunately rubbed off on Lyath.

Thank goodness Lyath was playing along, Liz thought as she also  
stepped in on the conversation. "Daniel, how do you know Mr. Thailog?"

"Mr. Stoneman is right, I've never actually met him, face to face,  
but I have talked with him on the phone a time or two." Daniel swung around  
to face Lyath. "Sir, I recognized you from your portrait in the Nightstone  
Lobby. Even though you've dyed your hair darker, you are still recognizable.  
As soon as you spoke I knew for sure that I was right."

Fortunately they were saved from having to respond by Rajitha and  
Mary's arrival. Rajitha began cleaning away the glass as Mary announced that  
lunch was served.

They made their way into the dining room and talked politely over  
lunch. After everyone had had their fill, Liz dismissed Mary and Rajitha  
until later that evening.

"So tell me, Daniel, what exactly is the job you're recruiting me  
for?" Liz smiled at him over her glass of cooler.

Todd appeared nervous. "Actually, I may be reconsidering the  
target." He licked his lips and turned toward Lyath. "You're planning to  
take Destine down, aren't you? After everything she's done you wouldn't be  
here in disguise for nothing."

"What if I am?" Lyath raised an eyebrow.

"I want in! Look, we can work together. I supposedly work for her,  
pulling off those corporate thefts you may have been hearing of. I had  
planned to eventually turn the tables on her - hold up Nightstone. We can do  
it together!"

Seeing Liz and Lyath share a look, he turned toward Liz. "Come on,  
Liz! If I had known who your majordomo was, I wouldn't have had any  
objections to him at all! Destine's dirty. We can get a hold of all the  
stolen technology and Nightstone's own research. We'll all be rich and  
she'll be ruined!"

Here he turned back toward Lyath. "You could get complete control  
of your company back, Thailog! Come on, I KNOW we can do it!"

Liz secretly hoped that Lyath would take control, reinforcing the  
illusion that he was really the boss here. He didn't disappoint her.

"Todd, first off, never address me as Thailog. As far as you know,  
I'm Stoneman, got it?" Lyath's voice was pitched lower than usual and  
sounded like authority itself.

Todd seemed to shrink a bit. "Yes, sir."

"Second," he continued, "I need to think things over. I hadn't  
actually thought that you would recognize me. I'm still not sure that I  
trust you, either. You have been working for my former partner for quite a  
while."

"Sir, I assure you that..." Todd began.

"Liz has your number. We'll contact you once we've discussed it."  
At that, Lyath stood and exited the suite.

Liz and Daniel watched him go.

Liz rose and escorted Todd to the elevators.

"Thanks for lunch," was all he could come up with as the elevator  
arrived.

"Thank-you for making it interesting," she replied as the doors  
closed between them.

In a moment the doors on either side of her opened and spilled out  
two exited detectives and one non-plussed Majordomo. Everyone began  
speaking at once, but Liz managed to herd them all back into Lyath's suite.

"Well, well, well, so our mystery man is none other than Alexander  
Thailog!" Conners pounced on them as soon as the door was closed. "I don't  
understand why you didn't tell us Liz...what's the big secret? He isn't  
really bent on revenge against Destine, is he?" Here he shot Lyath a  
pearcing look.

Liz realized that they were treading on dangerous ground. One false  
move and Conners would have them on the next plane back to New York - case  
or no case.

"Relax, he's not Thailog. He's actually Thailog's brother. Once Mr.  
Xanatos realized that there was a possibility that Destine might be behind  
the thefts, it made sense to send Lyath here to help on the case."

"So, you're his brother, huh?" Maddox gave Lyath a once over.

"I am." Lyath drew himself up to his full imposing height and  
glared down at him. Maddox backed up a bit.

"Look, he looks almost exactly like his brother - you heard Todd.  
The only difference is the coloration. Thailog disappeared under  
mysterious circumstances. Lyath just wants justice. We can give him some  
closure and wrap up this entire case at the same time!" Liz stood toe to toe  
with Conners and looked him in the eye. "The case is for all intents and  
purposes solved. All we need now is the evidence. Working with Todd and his  
gang, we can get it! Think about it guys, you will have brought down the  
president and part owner of Nightstone ULTD. Think of the headlines!"

"That's enough of that, Antelope, you're turning my stomach,"  
Conners snarled, but Liz saw the ghost of a smile on his face as he turned  
toward Maddox. "What do you think?"

"We bust the gang for breaking into Nightstone. We relieve them of  
their goods, which implicates Destine...so we bust her too. We bust Todd.  
We get to return the stolen technologies their parent companies, earning  
good press and perhaps some donations. Lyath gets to see Destine put away...  
something else may even turn up that lets us know the fate of Thailog."  
Maddox grinned like a shark. "The way I see it, we can't lose!"

"Yeah, well, that's IF we get through the planning stages without  
Liz's cover being blown. IF Todd doesn't find out that Lyath is not Thailog.  
And IF they make it through the robbery in one piece. Let's face it,  
there's still a lot that could go wrong." Conners had been slowly pacing the  
room, but now he came to a stop in front of Liz. "It is fortunate that  
Xanatos sent Lyath down to help us. He gave us the edge, but you can't deny  
that from here on out things will get a whole lot more complicated. Go ahead  
and call Todd tomorrow. Do what you have to do, but for now I want you both  
to keep regular business hours at the office. As soon as you know something,  
you be sure to pass it on." Here he turned toward his partner.

"Come on Maddox, let's pack up and get back to the office."

"Should I follow you in?" Liz helped them gather their things.

"Naw. You two hang out and enjoy. If Todd's watching the penthouse,  
it'll make him nervous to think that you're both up here debating on  
whether or not to call him back."

After the DC detectives had left, Elisa turned to Goliath.

"Goliath, I never heard anything about Thailog becoming human, did  
you?"

"No, as far as I know he never underwent any such change."

"Then how did Demona get a picture of him for the Nightstone  
lobbies?" She furrowed her brow as she thought it over. "What do ya think?  
Feel like taking a trip to the Nightstone building to check it out?"

"Is that wise? We could end up running into Dem...Dominique."

"Yeah, or she could see us on the lobby cameras..."

Goliath grinned. "Sounds like fun."

"Oh, you betcha!" Elisa laughed and led the way out of the  
building.

* * *

It was around two p.m. when they arrived at the N.U. building. They  
had foregone the limo in favor of a less conspicuous taxi. Even so, they  
got out a block away and walked cautiously toward the large entranceway.

Both of them were wearing dark sunglasses to help disguise  
themselves.

Seeing that quite a few people were constantly entering or exiting  
the building helped to set them at ease and they casually sauntered on in.

The lobby was as elegant as any Liz had ever seen back home. Rich  
marble and tiles on the floor and walls were accented with bronze. There was  
a large information desk to one side and an entrance into a nice looking  
restaurant on the other. The elevators were aligned in the back in a u-  
shape.

Liz slowly turned in a circle and stopped abruptly when she was  
facing toward the entranceway. Lyath quickly swiveled around as well.

Hanging in the large space above the doorway were the portraits of  
Dominique Destine and Alexander Thailog. The portraits were each at least  
six feet high. Dominique looked exactly as she had the last time Liz had  
seen her during the day except that her hair was pinned back in a neat pony  
tail. Thailog looked like a pale version of Liz's human companion. He had  
the same hairstyle, but his hair was as blond as Owen's. His eyes were very  
blue, his skin pale. He was wearing the same shit-eating grin which they had  
seen many times on his gargoyle countenance.

When she glanced over at her companion, Liz saw him comparing the  
portrait to his own reflection in the entranceway glass. Reaching over, she  
placed her hand on his arm.

"Come on, I've seen enough," she said as she steered him back out  
the door.

They walked a while in silence, each pondering how the portrait  
came into existence. When they drew abreast of a coffee shop, Liz led the  
way inside. They got a table in a secluded corner and she ordered two lattes  
for them.

"She might have used a computer program to morph his features from  
those of an actual photograph. It stands to reason that the finished product  
would look as you do now." Liz shared her best theory.

"She remembers what I looked like during the mirror incident. Could  
she not have described me to an artist?"

"Yeah, but she's a high-tech kinda gal now and besides, it would  
take too long if she worked with an artist - which, by the way, I just can't  
picture. If she remembered you as being a dark colored human, she might  
have purposely made Thailog look pale, in keeping with the fact that he is  
normally almost a negative image of yourself."

Their drinks arrived and they spent the next half hour sipping them  
and talking. Eventually the conversation turned toward Todd and how they  
should handle him.

"I'll call him tomorrow morning," Liz said as she finished her  
latte. "You can continue letting him think that you're running the show and  
that I'm your brainiac."

"You are much more than that to me," he replied as he covered her  
hand with his own.

Liz smirked. "You can make sure he knows that as well."

** End of Part 2**


End file.
